


Use A Uniform Like A Shield And Nobody Can Harm You

by loveoftheimpossible



Category: Twin Peaks
Genre: Fitting In, Friendship, Gen, General TP Spoilers (but none of the big ones), M/M, Medical Examination, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, wonderfulxstrange 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-26 10:56:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10785399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveoftheimpossible/pseuds/loveoftheimpossible
Summary: Wherever he turns, Cooper ends up in another boys' club.





	Use A Uniform Like A Shield And Nobody Can Harm You

**Author's Note:**

> For [skeleton-justice-warrior](http://skeleton-justice-warrior.tumblr.com/)'s [wonderfulxstrange](http://countdowntotwinpeaks.tumblr.com/wonderfulxstrange) prompts:
> 
> _• Trans man!Dale Cooper doing whatever. Could be casually putting his suit on, or checking out his post-op scars._
> 
> _• Gentle slash of Dale and Albert. Maybe they’re fixing each other’s suits or just hanging out._
> 
> I've decided to mash two prompts together, hopefully that's alright!! I was extremely delighted for your trans Coop prompt, especially as a trans guy myself. Hope you enjoy this!!

Cooper had figured he was just lucky. His parents didn't make a fuss when he said that he didn't like his first name and let him dress up in his brother’s old clothes. It seemed as if no one minded much, which he hazarded was better than some other people could say. He kept to himself more often than not, favoring his tape recorder and his journal – solitary activities – over other girls his age, finding there was little he could relate to with them. He had friends, of course, and it was easy to avoid mentioning these sorts of things. The friends who knew didn't care, though their parents were often another story entirely. After one too many friends moved away, he stopped telling them at all; living a lie of omission seemed far better to him than a life without a single friend.

He got his subscription to Boys’ Life monthly in the mail like everyone else in his troop, and he sanded his pinewood car until it was smooth and aerodynamic enough to win first place in the derby, weights having been placed in it just so. Cooper’s kerchief was always neat and pressed, knotted firmly around the slide. Nobody at his weekly meetings would've thought he was anything but the all American boy, despite his numerous eccentricities. He could light a fire with the best of them, after all, and was always more than happy to help while away on camping trips.

The mysteries of the FBI called to him shortly thereafter, with their stories of good looking men in black suits and ties protecting the world from the nefarious who choose to do harm. Agent Earle could sense the eagerness in him from the moment they met, the sheer pride in Cooper’s voice when he spoke of his Eagle Scout achievements. His medical report noted two pink scars across his chest – ‘an accident in childhood, nothing that should cause trouble in the future.’ Earle had seen scars like those before but said nothing of them; Gordon had already signed off on the kid after barely a cursory glance, deeming him man enough to join their team. Cooper’s suit was cleaned and pressed, hung up in the closet around a crisp shirt and a new silk tie. He liked the wardrobe more than the badge most days, enjoying his silhouette in the smudged mirrors of dirty motels.

He had his yearly examinations in the morgue, up on the cold table usually reserved for the dead and, on occasion, the dead tired doctor that attended to them. Albert warmed his hands before removing Cooper’s shirt, breathed on his stethoscope before placing it against the agent’s skin. There were few people Cooper trusted with his past these days, and Albert examined him in the quiet, only speaking to give a stern warning or two while patching him up along the way. Albert squeezed his shoulder, the only comfort he could give during the work day, and buttoned him back up before they parted ways.

In the winter of ‘89, in the not so sleepy town of Twin Peaks, a small round patch, adorned with a sword and a tree, slipped itself into his hand, welcoming him into the Bookhouse Boy fold as if he was always meant to be there. Cooper picked out a book from the library and slid it next to the sheriff’s before joining him at one of the tables. Harry poured out two whiskeys and toasted to the men they had become, each smiling for different reasons. They were both dressed in flannel, Cooper’s borrowed and a bit loose, jeaned knees bumping against each other’s under the old table. They spoke of old lovers, strange dreams, and everything in between, the creaking of the building settling the only sound besides their voices throughout the night.

‘ _Another_ one?’ Albert asked, rubbing an alcohol pad across an open wound, hearing the sharp intake of breath that came with it. ‘How many badges do you need, Coop? Deputy of Hicktown, USA. What's next, Vice President of the United States?’

‘Now Albert –’

‘Don't you _now Albert_ me, mister. You're gonna end up killing yourself trying to prove your as man as everyone else is. Don't tell me it's not true, because it is.’ Albert paused, removing his gloves before crossing his arms. ‘You've already proved yourself, Coop. Nobody else is asking you to.’

‘But _I’m_ asking myself,’ he replied, ‘and the fact of the matter is I’m not sure I'll ever be satisfied.’

Albert sighed, pursing his lips slightly. ‘I can't begin to understand why, Coop, I really can't. Just don't get too caught up in all this. I don't want to have to see you on this table in any other circumstance, you hear me?’

Cooper smiled softly, squeezing Albert’s hand. ‘I won't.’


End file.
